Jessica Soho is 2018 UP Gawad Plaridel awardee

Veteran broadcast journalist and GMA Network Pillar Jessica Soho is this year's recipient of Gawad Plaridel—Outstanding Journalist Category award given by the UP College of Mass Communication.

In a press release, the UP College of Mass Communication said Soho is cited "for her pioneering work in broadcast investigative journalism and for her insightful and courageous coverage of Philippine and world news."

"She holds the distinction of being the most awarded broadcast journalist in Philippine history with two hundred fifty-three (253) local awards and thirty-two (32) international awards to date," it said.

It also noted that Soho "is the first Filipina recipient of the highly acclaimed George Foster Peabody Award for her documentaries on the illegal trade of kidneys and the harrowing plight of Filipino boxers and is also a 6-time recipient of the 'Most Trusted News Presenter' award of Readers Digest Asia."

Named after Marcelo del Pilar whose nom de plume was Plaridel, the annual UP Gawad Plaridel is the sole award in the UP System that bestows honor on Filipino media practitioners who have excelled in any of the media — journalism, broadcast-radio and television, film, and new media — and performed with the highest level of professional integrity in the interest of public service.

Past recipients of the award include, among others, Eugenia Duran-Apostol (2004, journalism), Vilma Santos (2005, film), Fidela “Tiya Dely” Magpayo (2006, radio), Cecilia “Cheche” L. Lazaro (2007, television), Pachico A. Seares (2008, community journalism), Kidlat Tahimik (2009, independent film), Eloisa “Lola Sela” Canlas (2011, radio), Florence “Rosa Rosal” Danon-Gayda (2012, television), Jose “Pete” Lacaba (2013, journalism), Nora “Nora Aunor” Villamayor (2014, transmedia), Ricardo “Ricky” Lee (2015, film); Francisca “Babes” Custodio (2016, radio) and Tina Monson-Palma (broadcast-TV, 2017).

The recognition comes with a trophy sculpted by the late National Artist Napoleon V. Abueva to be presented by the UP President Danilo Concepcion and UP Diliman Chancellor Michael Tan on August 29 at the UP Film Center. —KBK, GMA News